Hello everyone,
Today we're going to explore the creative possibility of a box - I imagine there are quite a few of you who loved making dioramas in school and maybe you've made many box houses in your life -- I have too -- but I always enjoy making a new one, they are a little escape for the mind.. you can create the cozy little world of your imagination. And I know there are some mice out there who need a house - or at least a room, of their own :)
This is the first video in our series for building and furnishing a mouse bedroom and I ended up making my box bedroom a little bigger and more complex than my original vision, but I like to make what really sparks me and I like to challenge myself - so I decided to share this process rather than just the "basic box." There is absolutely nothing wrong with the basic box - especially if you add some pretty paint, paper, or fabric to the inside to perk it up - so if that's what you have time for or feel you prefer, that will still make a cozy bedroom. But since I had the idea and like to share my creative experiments with you, I figured this might be interesting to some of you and we'll probably use some of these same ideas to make furniture in a few weeks.
I hope you'll enjoy seeing this little cupboard cottage come together and that you'll find inspiration, comfort, and peace spending time with me today.
Thank you so much for watching and for supporting my work, and for being part of this kind and creative community - happy making to you!
xo Rosanna
p.s. You can find lots of links that were mentioned in the video below the chapters :) and here is the video for cooked flour paste which is what i use for paper mache paste: https://youtu.be/VJwBePui6m8
00:00:00 - Start
00:00:33 - welcome and introduction
00:02:32 - supply list slide and explanation of materials needed
00:05:20 - beginning... preparing the box (and my thoughts on choosing the "right" size
00:09:37 - cutting the flaps off the box
00:09:52 - making a shelf
00:13:29 - making a "frame" for the box front
00:17:21 - adding some decorative trim on the top
00:20:21 - starting the door... it's a multi-step process :)
00:23:13 - cutting the window openings in the door
00:29:26 - working on and adding the decorative moulding or trim
00:30:15 - making the fabric hinges for the door and attaching the door
00:36:25 - covering the cabinet with paper (just a few minutes of sped-up footage and a few tips)
00:40:51 - adding fiberboard details and using tissue paper for paper mache
00:46:13 - latch or handle options and how the cabinet came out after drying - and also my experiment with using school glue to get a crackle coat on the back of the box
00:50:54 - painting the undercoat
00:52:58 - adding the school glue coat (this will create a crackle finish)
00:57:20 - putting on the topcoat
01:00:57 - how the crackle finish came out, tips on getting a good crackle finish
01:02:17 - disclaimer about my "folky" decorative painting (you can find lots of better videos and helps linked in my blog post)
01:04:20 - painting some folky designs on the door
01:11:31 - a last word about painting - to encourage you!
01:15:19 - putting on the latch thingamajig
01:17:12 - conclusion
#folkart #craftwithme #cardboardcraft
sign up for my N E W S L E T T E R here: https://mailchi.mp/0826907f94cc/join-rosannas-mailing-list
here is the accompanying BLOG POST with lots of resources for painting folk flowers: https://sweethavensanctuary.org/rosannas-blog/2025/4/2/dwell-in-possibility-lets-make-a-cabinet-cottage-for-a-mouse
this is a very quick, but lovely tutorial showing how to paint a folk flower with acrylic paints - an excellent artist and channel: https://youtu.be/F3zygGMovXQ?si=6f8XVGid-K5U7FTT
JAZPER STARDUST shop (for watercolors and gouache): https://www.etsy.com/shop/JazperStardust?
Pony pull cart video : https://youtu.be/jrKWngLxf8Q?si=QgsB9z3caBEZLjDb
cornstarch paste video: https://youtu.be/ZTDzHoPGXDE?si=ue80A7U0lsugI9Ea
music by Epidemic Sound